Use a spritz of oil A very light spritz of oil will ensure your air fryer fries don't dry out. Some people swear by spraying a little of your go-to cooking oil, like canola, olive or avocado, into the basket and over frozen french fries before air frying.
How To Reheat Leftover Fries Using the Air Fryer Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 350°F or 177°C for 3 minutes. Step 2: Add the leftover fries in a single layer into the basket of the air fryer. Step 3: Air fry leftover french fries for 3-4 minutes, or until fully reheated. Toss the fries halfway through.
Soaking the potatoes does something magical with the starches—it helps achieve the coveted French fry crispiness and prevents the fries from sticking together.
There are a few reasons why your French fries may have ended up soggy when cooking them in the air fryer. 1. Too much oil will cause fries to become soggy when air frying. Just use enough to lightly coat them. 2. They were overcrowded. Make sure to add them in a single layer. 3. They weren't tossed halfway through.
Use a spritz of oil
A very light spritz of oil will ensure your air fryer fries don't dry out. Some people swear by spraying a little of your go-to cooking oil, like canola, olive or avocado, into the basket and over frozen french fries before air frying.
Spread the cut potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket with a little space between each one. Don't cram them in! The space allows the hot air to come in contact with all sides of the fries, which is what makes them golden brown and crisp. Air fry them at 380 for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway.
The main reasons to cut the potatoes and pre-soak in water are: To allow the excess starches and sugars to be removed from the outer surface of the fry strips AND to keep the potatoes from browning prematurely from exposure to air. Covering in water helps the potato from turning a dark color.
Let's get started: first, get your potatoes cut (and your air fryer preheating, if applicable). I like to cut mine into water to do double duty in making sure they are clean AND to keep them from browning too much. Then toss your cut potatoes with all your seasonings, including salt and pepper.
The trick to making the fries perfectly is to blanch them first. I know this is an extra step, but it is worth it. Blanching the potato sticks for 4 minutes helps par-cook the fries to just the right stage so that the air fryer can crisp up the exterior, but keep the interior moist and tender.
To fix stale fries, lightly mist them with water and reheat them in a high-heat oven, air fryer, or frying pan. This process adds moisture, helping to soften hard fries and revive their fluffy interior and crispy texture.
Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees. After an hour, drain the water, and pat fries dry with a paper towel. Toss with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. Add fries to bottom of air fryer basket, making sure they are all on the same level (don't stack them on top of each other.)
Another technique is to add a small amount of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket (under the cooking grate, not in direct contact with the food). The steam created from the water can help maintain a humid environment inside the fryer, reducing the chance of food drying out.
There's moisture naturally found in potatoes, and moisture is drawn to higher concentrations of salt. (This is a process called osmosis.) So, if you put the potatoes in a salt water bath, that will help draw out some of their moisture, resulting in crispier fries.
When a small amount of vinegar is added to the soaking water before frying, it can help impart a tangy flavor to the fries without making them taste overly vinegary. The acid in the vinegar can also help to slightly break down the surface of the potatoes, aiding in the development of a crispier texture during frying.
Choose the right oil for the job.
For the best results, opt for an oil with a high smoke point and a neutral flavor that won't overpower the taste of the fries. Though all Wesson Oils can achieve golden fries, our top pick is Wesson Canola Oil for making the perfect crispy fries.
While your Philips Airfryer does not require oil to cook and fry the food, adding oil directly to fresh ingredients when preparing them, such as freshly peeled potatoes or chicken, can create a crispy layer and improve the overall taste of your dish.
Using too much oil, overcrowding the air fryer basket or pulling the fries out before they're ready can lead to poor results. Crisp up soggy fries by evenly distributing the fries into one flat layer in the air fry basket and popping them back into the oven to cook for an additional 3–5 minutes.
A properly made fry must hit the oil twice--once at a lower temperature, and then again at 350 degrees Fahrenheit--to get the perfect creamy interior and crunchy exterior. Before all that, though, the secret is to briefly poach them in boiling water (or "blanch" them) before they go into the hot oil.
If you have a lot of fries to reheat, work in batches to ensure they all reheat and crisp up evenly. Set the temperature and cook time: After placing the basket into the air fryer, select 325 degrees Fahrenheit for the temperature and 5 minutes for the cooking time. Keep in mind that thicker-cut fries may need longer.
If you are throwing a meal together last minute it may be tempting to just toss your potatoes into the air fryer after you chop them. However, this would be a mistake. Sure, it can be done, but your potatoes certainly won't crisp up as nicely if you don't take the extra time to soak them first.
The general rule is to reduce the temperature by 20°C to 30°C and cut cooking time by about 20%. But, no need to calculate conversions because I've crafted this useful air fryer cooking cheat sheet just for you!